Yer Dog Don't Hunt
by binkeybella
Summary: Abby forces Gibbs to do something he may end up regretting. Series of One Shots.
1. Cornered

**Author's Note: This is for a request from reviewer **_**Agent Last Wish**_**. Thanks for the kind review, hope you enjoy this new one. It may have a sequel or two.**

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><p>Tony had been saying it for years, and he was right. Abby had Gibbs wrapped around his little finger BIG time. How else would she have been able to talk him into such a hair-brained notion?<p>

She had been at bowling practice with the Sisters when one of them mentioned that the brother of a cousin of one of the parishioners had found a litter of puppies in a box along the road side, obviously dumped off by, in Abby's words, a "cruel and irresponsible and totally sub-human person!" And now she was on a mission to find homes for them all, and Abby-on-a-mission, by all those who knew her well, was an unstoppable force.

Thus, Leroy Jethro Gibbs found himself with his shaky new charge at the giant pet retailers, spending money that he had saved for a new wood-working project on an extensive list of 'must haves' stuffed into his jacket pocket by his beloved lab tech. As the cart filled and his savings dwindled, Gibbs kept replaying the fateful conversation in his head, trying to figure out just where and how he'd missed the legal loopholes of puppy ownership. None of his excuses seemed to fly with Abby - she countered him at every angle, as if she'd been practicing for this very confrontation. In the end, he had lost. She knew he would, but she hadn't fought fair, either. She'd already picked out a puppy for him and had it tucked away in a pet carrier in her lab, at the ready to spring on him and make him cave. It had worked. He'd caved, and now he was the proud father of yet ANOTHER stray, this one not quite house-broken yet. Well, he'd managed to puppy-proof his place enough for his 'loyal St. Bernard, AND housebreak him, too, so how hard could it be for a _real _one? And Tony had excitedly pledged to help him when he'd found out about the new addition - it seems DiNozzo had never been allowed any real pet of his own, much less a puppy, so Gibbs made the lame excuse that he was really doing it for Tony's benefit.

He snuggled the squirming Border Collie pup up under his chin to calm him and felt a sigh of tension and stress leave his own body. Yeah, right. All for Tony. "Hell," he thought to himself. "Let DiNozzo get his OWN puppy!"


	2. Good Company

His family was dysfunctional. Jethro couldn't deny it. But what the hell could he expect with him setting the examples for them? Maybe if he'd known how he might affect four young lives in the future, he would have made different decisions in the past. No point worrying about it now, no do-overs on anything he had done, good or bad. And it certainly hadn't been him that had caused all their 'dysfunctionalities', he could lay that blame squarely on the shoulders of their real parents.  
>Though maybe, he figured, he had amplified the angst and ramped up their insecurities with his 'unique' style of tough-love. Didn't matter, he knew they loved him, grumpy gus and bad judgment calls and all, and he loved them, dysfunction and childish rivalries and all, fiercely, protectively and without end.<p>

But sometimes they still drove him nuts anyways.

That's why he was basking in four days off rotation and even better, there was a mini-blizzard howling outside. Not much chance of any of his kids showing up on his doorstep with some kind of conundrum he'd need to help them sort out. It was getting light out, and Gibbs could see the already high drifts piling up around the shrubs in the back yard. That was just fine with him. He had a week's supply of coffee and groceries, firewood at the ready, and a pretty nice snuggling companion. He poured his second cup of the morning and leaned down and petted her head. She beamed up at him, her eyes shining with unreserved love and devotion. She was a stunning example of 'semper fi' if ever he'd encountered it, and she came with no baggage, no daddy issues, no need to talk out any issues. And she was an excellent listener if he himself chose to speak. She loved his cooking, his choice in TV. shows and movies, and never complained when he snored or left the seat up. She just plain loved him, and couldn't wait to be with him. He'd let her into his bed the first night he brought her home, and she never left his side once he got back from a long, hard day's work. Yes, she was worth the occasional puddle and even a pair of his favorite boots chewed up. (_He_was the one that left them on the floor within reach, anyways!)

He wandered into the den and sagged leisurely onto the old sofa, pulling the afghan off the back and covering his legs. Later on he'd get a fire going in the grate and maybe roast a steak and a couple of potatoes. But for now he just grabbed his book, found the place mark, and held his coffee steady while she jumped up with him and snuggled down at his feet, letting out a contented sigh. He knew she was thinking that it was about damned time he stayed home for once. He agreed, and was thankful once again for Abby's determination in guilting him into taking the black and white ball of unconditional love, fluff and spit. They were a good fit, and good company for each other.

Funny that what he originally did out of guilt and, yes, a bit of fear of the wrath of Abby, turned out to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made. He'd have to figure out some kind of new rule for that.


	3. Sharing

**Author's Note: This chapter is partially for those of you who cringed at the thought of DiNozzo being responsible for his own puppy, though personally I think he'd do better than a lot of fans would believe.**

**Thanks to my wonderfully helpful beta Bunny of Sparkiebunny. Any remaining errors are mine.**

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><p>Gibbs looked away from the road long enough to cast a wary eye on his Senior Field Agent. They were fresh from the emergency room, yet again, and on their way to Gibbs' place for a few days' down time after a catastrophic undercover case involving Fornell and the FBI.<p>

"Keep the ice on it, DiNozzo. Don't be a putz, I know it hurts like hell."

"Putz, Boss? You takin' beginning Yiddish classes in your down time?"

"Just shut up and close yer eyes and put yer head back."

"Boss, I don't _like_to close my eyes when you drive, it's like being tossed around in a commercial clothes dryer with a blindfold on. I can't tell which way is up!"

"DiNozzo..." Gibbs huffed out a long-suffering sigh, but kept his eyes on the road ahead. It wasn't Tony's fault he'd gotten the shiner of his life and a dozen stitches in his face, and worse, a broken wrist. Petty Officer Snell would have kicked the snot out of the kid if Fornell hadn't gotten a clue to which apartment complex Tony had been sent to.

Pulling into the driveway, Gibbs patted Tony's arm.

"Go on in, I'll be right there, just gonna grab your bag and the groceries."

Tony was just too out of it to argue. For once, he didn't have a concussion, and Ducky had been able to give him some fairly strong pain reliever. All he could feel was a light throbbing beneath the stitches on his lip and under his eye, and a dull ache in his wrist. He felt relaxed, but not loopy, and he kind of liked it. He fiddled with the recalcitrant front door handle then pushed his way into the foyer and took a deep breath. He never got tired of coming to Gibbs' house. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but Abby, but this was home to him, and he secretly hoped that the man would never change a thing in the place. Well, maybe the TV, it could use a bit of an update. Like 30 years.

He made a bee-line for the kitchen and grabbed a root beer out of the fridge, then headed for the mudroom. Behind him he could hear Gibbs come in with the groceries and start putting them away.

"Make sure she goes out to pee first, DiNozzo! Leash is the hook by the door."

"Got it, Boss."

"Sure you can manage her with your left hand?"

"Yes, Boss, I'm sure." he answered, and then grumbled to himself, "I'm not _totally _incapacitated."  
>He squatted down and snapped the leash onto the puppy's collar. She was beside herself with joy at seeing him, wriggling her little body back and forth and hopping around. Gibbs listened to the commotion as he started some pasta to cook.<p>

"Yeah, you happy to see me, girl?" Tony cooed to her.

Gibbs could tell by Tony's voice that his young agent was glad to see her. "Yeah, me too, doofus". He rubbed her head. "Wanna go out and run around for awhile? C'mon, I'll bring the ball, we'll play while the boss fixes dinner, that way we won't be under foot and getting yelled at, huh? Well, _me_getting yelled at, anyways."

Gibbs chuckled to himself. He really didn't want both a puppy and an incapacitated DiNozzo trying to help him in the kitchen, either one of them alone would be a menace. He heard the back door shut, and popped open a beer, then stood watching out the window over the sink. Tony clicked the leash off as soon as they were safe inside the enclosed back yard, and then threw a ball out of his pocket. Gibbs never tired of seeing the smooth black and white blur that shot out after the toy. Nine times out of ten she caught it. This was one of the nine, and he heard DiNozzo cheer her on. The young man had been spending more time than ever at Gibb's place, and the older man liked to think it was all about him and that he was perhaps mellowing out a little in his old age, but mellowing or not, he was smart enough to know better that his cowboy steaks and straight -shooting problem-solving were not the only thing keeping DiNozzo tied to the place. Gibbs had been surprised and impressed by how well DiNozzo had adapted to cleaning up after someone other than himself for a change. The kid seemed a lot more relaxed when he was with the puppy, too, as if the dog broke down a barrier or two to the younger agent. Not an easy task, as it had taken Gibbs a few years himself to get past some of Tony's stone walls. Suddenly Gibbs smelled pasta and realized the water was boiling over the sides of the pan. Better pay attention to dinner instead of watching the game, he mused to himself.

Twenty minutes later the two men were seated at the dining room table with plates of fettuccini alfredo and a loaf of soft bread from the local bakery. Tony ate two helpings of the pasta and half the loaf of bread with butter, left handed and stitched mouth. Twenty minutes after finishing dinner, Gibbs had Tony parked on the couch in front of the TV, old sweatpants and t-shirt serving as pajamas. Under threat of even more bodily harm, Gibbs had induced DiNozzo to take at least a few ibuprofen and the older man saw some of the lines of pain around Tony's eyes and mouth smooth out some. Without waiting for permission, the puppy jumped up onto Tony's lap, bumping his injured arm. He let out a pained gasp, and Gibbs made to pull the puppy off the couch.

"No, she's okay, Boss, she didn't mean it." He petted her and she excitedly licked his face, making him laugh. Then Gibbs heard him sigh and settle back into the pillows. The dog settled with him, resting her chin on his leg and letting out a contented sigh of her own.

"Okay, kids, I'm gonna go do up the dishes and make a pot of coffee and some tea for you."

"Thanks, Boss. You got any of those shortbread cookies left that Kate made?"

"Yeah, think so.' Gibbs replied. 'Be right back."

Ten minutes later, Gibbs came back into the den with his tray of goodies, only to find DiNozzo sleeping soundly with the puppy flopped half over his chest. He set down the tray, took up his mug of coffee, and deposited himself into the over-stuffed armchair, contemplating his second in command as he drank and relaxed now that he had DiNozzo back safe under his wing. He watched Tony unconsciously wrap his good arm around the puppy, who grunted contentedly. Gibbs chuckled, knowing without a doubt the dog had helped settle the kid tonight. He thought back to his first hunting dog, who, although he had been a worthless hunter, had helped him through some tough times during his early teenage years, providing a calming influence and someone to listen to him without judgment or agenda. He had a feeling this puppy was doing the same thing for Tony, giving him an outlet for his sometimes tightly wound emotions and the opportunity to channel his nervous energy into someone that loved him unconditionally.  
>And if anyone needed unconditional love, it was DiNozzo. He had it from Gibbs, he'd had it for a long time, he just didn't really believe it. With the puppy, he had no reason to doubt - a concept that until now was totally foreign to him.<p>

Gibbs took another long drink of coffee and closed his eyes, remembering himself bonding with this puppy and deciding Tony would have to get his own.  
>It turned out he'd been wrong. The puppy had enough love for both of them, and Gibbs decided he didn't mind sharing after all.<p> 


End file.
